Bio Mass World Congress in Iowa for 2019

Monday, October 08, 2018

The Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO) announced the selection of Des Moines, Iowa, as the location for the 2019 BIO World Congress on Industrial Biotechnology. The event will be held July 8-11, 2019 and it will host industry executives, investors, policy makers and academics from around the world and will feature the BIO One-on-One Partnering™ system.

"Given Iowa’s preeminent position in the industrial biotechnology sector, there is no better venue to host this important forum than Iowa,” said Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds. “This will provide us with an excellent opportunity to showcase our state’s competitive advantages to a globally respected audience and demonstrate that Iowa is indeed at the epicenter of this important industry.”

Joe Hrdlicka, executive director of the Iowa Biotechnology Association (IowaBio), added, “Iowa is home to a strong biotechnology sector, world-class universities and an unparalleled agriculture industry. We look forward to bringing business leaders, diplomats and researchers from around the world together to continue building the biobased economy.”

Key facts about Iowa’s biobased economy:

Iowa has 1,266 bioscience businesses, which employed nearly 25,000 people as of 2014. (including Cargill, Ajinomoto, Wacker and Cargill Chlor-Alkali)

Iowa ranks first among Midwestern states in academic bioscience R&D expenditures per capita.

Iowa has the ability to harvest 14.4 million dry tons of biomass per year (including total cellulosic and crop biomass).

Iowa has a significant number of companies engaged in manufacturing renewable chemicals, and the state has implemented a Renewable Chemicals Production Tax Credit that incentivizes production of 30 high-value chemicals derived from biomass.

Iowa has 43 operating ethanol biorefineries, collectively producing over 26 percent of total U.S. ethanol output.